With the state title on the line, the Liberty girls soccer team came up just short, losing to Seattle Prep 3-2 Saturday at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

“We talked about whoever makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win the game and we made a couple of big errors in the first half,” said Liberty coach Jamie Giger. “I can’t say enough about these girls, they worked so hard.”

Things couldn’t have started much better for Liberty (18-2). The Patriots got a goal less than two minutes into the game when Cassidy Nangle hit a cross from the left side. Kali Youngdahl’s shot bounced off the Prep goalkeeper and a trailing Kiana Hafferty knocked the ball in.

Liberty added to the lead when Youngdahl made a shot off a Kimi Fry corner kick in the sixth minute.

“I always say 2-0 is the worst lead to have because you feel comfortable,” Giger said. “One goal and they have the momentum, another goal and they’re really going with it.”

The Panthers, who’ve gone 19-5 in the state tournament the past five years, didn’t panic. Prep scored on goal in the 16th minute, one in the 29th minute, then again in the 35th minute to take the lead.

Liberty kept the pressure on and controlled the action much of the second half, but suffered several close misses. In the closing seconds of the game, a header by Kailiana Johnson off a Fry pass sailed just feet high.

Liberty’s only two losses this season came by two total goals to Skyline (17-0-2, playing for the 4A title) and Seattle Prep (19-0-2, 3A state champion). The Patriots never trailed in the state tournament before the title game, and gave up multiple goals in a game for just the second time this season.

Goalkeeper Macaire Ament had 11 shutouts. Johnson and Nangle each had 15 goals. Kimi Fry had 12 assists, Youngdahl had 10 goals and 10 assists. Hafferty had 10 goals and nine assists.